FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY REPRESENTATIVE GAME.

WELLINGTON DEFEATS TARANAKI

BY TO 6

Memories of the Goods and Bajlye, of Paulmg, Poland, "Off-side Mac," ™d scores of others who plajod the "willing, but clevor football of thoir day, cluster around tho interprovmcial fixture—Wellington v. Taranaki. It wofi tho stroiwoua battle-scarred "butter province" which dovelopcd tlic 11rosiitiblo provincial team or tho middle " 'mnotios," and it was Wolhngtou who gave them thoir first check m that momorablo matcli, on a vorj wmdj dnj, when Mr J 1. Firth, who was referee, scut a well-known Tanmaki player off tho field. On Saturday it was again 'windy, and tho day broke heavy with ram Postponement, hoi.over, in a fixture of this kind was too inconvenient to be thought of, and tho weather had moderated by midday In its general features tlie eami (as tho report below indicates) was a rather peculiar one, as the Wellington forwards plajed a surprising stjle of Rugby toi a team pitted against the wind in the first spoil, and yet escaped certain consequences in the second spell which generally follow s> that kind of gaW Over 6000 spectotois were present at Athletio Park, and tho match was aftenvaids summed up b> a iaranaki player as "about the cleanest ho had ever plajed m." With one or two etcep- j tions, mentioned below, it was indeed contested with great fairness. Roberts stood | out of the local team, and Greon filled thevacancy. Mr. J. Peake, of Christehurch, waS referee, and at one .stago of the game seemed to bo a little over-weighted bv his responsibilities Inv general, Wellington fought out its salvation on such peculiar lines that the wholo engagement is hard to focus Either the Blacks are going to make themselves felt in provincial contests this _\eai, or else Taranaki cannot be quite the team I that it is v popularly suppled to be ' I The personnel of tho Wellington fifteen ' was a-s follows. —■

FtfLL-BACK. Jas Ryan. THREE-QUARTERS E Ryan, F Mitchinson, E Evenson ' FIVE-EIGHTHS , T. Walshe, J M'Kenzie HALF ' - C Green FORWARDS; A. Bruce, J Tannahill, "Rmji" flilson, A C Wilson, G M'Kellar, E Houlihan, W Ready, F Gardmei_ The avorage weight of tho Wellington backs was list, and the avenge Weight of tho forwards 13st 41b The Taranaki team was constituted as follows — FULL-BACK. M Dixon ' THREF/-QUARTERS J. Stohr, C Sheehan, D Cameron \ ' FIVE-EIGHTHS L. Beamish, S Mynott. HALF. C Thurston FORWARDS J. Crawloy, J O'Sulhvan, Tamu, W. Smith, J. Young, M. Cane, W. Osborne, T. , t Sheehan The average weight of the Taranaki bac'ss was given as list, and tho average weight of the forwards as 13st. 51b. I THE GAME. i ' I A LONG, STIFF, UPHILL BATTLE.,, But, if forwards are gold, , Why the caper's all over, , k The whole tale is told If the forwards are gold. We can lay them all cold Hearken , Forward and rover! If the forwaids aro gold, Why tho capei's all ovor Previous Issue ' Quiet, unassuming "Fred " Gardiner, .interviewed ■aftenthe'game, was asked just one question as'follows —'^Eh o Those forwards iof They won it, didn't they?" And, without hesitation, the, Wellington captain, choosing downright words to suit a uown,i<rht match, replied- "Too true they did' Too true, "indeed. When "Fred." fished a florin fiom his pocket and faced Mynott for the toss, the wind was whistling under tho roof of the dressing-room, and tho wind meant much. "Tails'" said Mjnott, as the

com spun up against the coiling and fell amongst the dust and shadows, and tails it was Was it tt> be tails for Wellington too? Gardiner evidently thought so, tor as tho team laced up their jerscjs ho passed out just one word of eleventh-hour advice: "Make itHight for the first spell." Of this piece of wisdom Wellington took no notice at all. They plajed a game of their own, and as it happened they won "It is magnihcent," said Bosquet when he heard of the charge of the Light Brigade, "it is magnificent, "but it is not war." The long, stern, stupid plug of the Wellington forwards was not quite magnificent, and not quite good, cold, calculated Itugbj But the forwards were gold, all the same. One minute's struggle and tho play stopped A very well-built dark-headed Taranaki man was called up, and the ball put down for him. He shaved the right-hand goalpost with the shot, and then, as the referee nad givon "No cLargel" ho proceeded to ahave the left-hand poet.'Tho kicker tho celebrated Stohr, of whom so much has been heard. Plainly, as everybody could see, it would be dangerous to ha\e tins Stohr roamfug about at large, and tho Wellington forwards started out to shift Stohi and his mates to tho other end of the paddock, necU I «nd crop. Surely never woro eight such dcI mented people let loose up a football field.

In ten minutes they had not only thrown the captain's advice overboard, but by making the- play open against that piping wind they had broken t'ao ten commandments of caution. Also, and incidentally, they broko Taranaln's went over the hno hko'a flash after "Ranji" Wilson had fooled tho man who was marking him on tho lineout. Wellington 3 points, Taranaki nil. Now, it has been found by experience that it is more blessed to givfc than to receive, and Taranaki, not all amused by this opening bloiv in tho face, proceeded to "fiive." They closed down very sternlv on the Blacks. Their bip; forwards lowered thoir heads to it, and tnoir'batki! centred incessant!). A rain of hifjh-droppil'B'kicks began to fall in Wollinaton torriton. And v.\lh tins ordeal the ne*t, Wtilim&taa tacka did oil that

could be done. They caught unerringly and found the line. ■: But they had -no ; sooner landed the ball into safe haven of.touch than their' strange, strange forwards again centred the play. In this Sea of trouble tho ship that bore Wellington's fortunes seemed to be-leaking, but despite the efforts of tho backs to safely heach her, those reckless forwards pushed her out again into deep water. Then the high-dropping, wind-borne kicks began again, and back \Vellington went—back and back. - Working into good striking distance, the YelloWs now manoeuvred to let slip their own backs. .At first- their'half-' .back, Thurston) was over eager to-get tho ball away. . With both arms ho explored tho scrum, shquJder-deepi for the tardy leather, and ;was, of course, penalised, but tho attack was maintained., Stohrhad his third shot at the Wellington goal, and then- Mynott and Cameron, working swiftly to tho "blind side," came. into contact with tho last remnants, of a sorely-tried defence. >What happened in that lightning passago was not

Veifr clear, ■'" but! tire referee's whistle, : aria;.tbc. deep silence'.all , ro ' ln(1 the bank told plainly enough that, tlie fleet■ Stratfordian had '.got across/ &-3V-'- The scores were, now_square; quite.tlid.pdintJ- The out-.staridiiigfact-was'that'theAVelbngton ;tor.wards scerriea-'to ■be' bent;on.running .them-, ■selvesto The -hardest, part. o£ the game Avas still to come,,ahd the Blacks 'had'-'italteiii'about twice as much-outof tneinselves'as there was any.need for.; And what did .they 'do now ? Claw cautiously up',:the touch-

line ■ aW half time?.-*/ Not a,bit. of t?''Aa soon play re-started, ■ they ..were $ another hare-brained enterprise right up thecentreof the ground. And, the onlj admirable tHing about them was that, hue Sm fanatic!-to whom some.prophet has •Weed, Taranaki, not being able to Mi Jng Taranafd man once attempted to jay a detainiiK' arm on, Bruce.: • Hβ did- not try waevhu.' first ,blg missing ,this, and^einto", the running; ;and, going ;very,f ast, entered the' Taranaki tweuty-hve.. Approach;ing the man, he,panted past his op|onerit,- and to. foW up.v Consifee .Mitchinson is, : it seemed good odds on a itwas n 9 be. as' the chance 1 was really ; bnght, .an- illegal, kanil was laid W.the Wellmgtoii centre, and he was .held-frbm behind. ."Scandalous!'' called"a member'of the. Selection Committee as the thing took; place, aM some- ot tlo Spectators footed.- The referee,..promptly penalised , the .offender, but it is doubtful if a free kick -;is;fulr compensation in, a case of this kind; ■;•:: v \ ' ; . ■ '■'.. ..*■ . . ■.' ■; ■ - Of course, these centring stresses agrnnst the Hvind coiild jnot -endure, and, as .the speU progressed, .Taranaki developed. a heavy,, attack/ -The high-dropping kicks.began again; and, desoite- all' efforts ~of: the steady Black, rearguard, ■■ 'play was forced back, a. htUe at a time, back, towards era Eoal. Tairiu■•:began,, one. particularly warm rush, aid there were/flashes of pass-ing-sometimes to , Stohr's wim, .sometimes to Cameron's.' CGenerally. speaking, the latter needed all tho stopping,that .Wellington could give/for thb'star of the Stratford man seemed to ; :he'. shining, .brighter ,thanv • the lights of-the wondrous: airships, and, once a' least, .he Was staggered, by a Black not more -than • a foot .from: the line. It w r as : a beautiful dash,;.,with a wonderful swerve in ' it' and thbse who 'saw it must v have realised what' a'irc'ally fine wing Cameron is. . These rushes eventually brought ou, a. melee near the line...and, ,out of this, T. Sheehan, getting hold of -the. ball,, dived across, faranaici, 6 points; Wellington, '.3-pointe.. . ■■■ _ If-half-time-the face of events for Wellington'wore" only tlje grim store of disaster. Here were the forwards, 'pumped one feared', arid, hero -was a 'deficit of three poiriti!-.- Some , of Wellington's supporters spent the interval with their heads in their hands,, thinking hard,; for, no doubt,, the last twenty • minutes wonld : .tell _ a r-tale ot trouble. Itwas,a (and a legitimate one) that the -Wellington van, after their gruelling open battle against tue wind the first spell, would not last it out. But as in all. other, walks, of ,life, -so m football, nothing seoms to be more dangerous- than the i»ssession of .fixed ideas. "Condition" ami "endurance -are fascmatin" words almost • as blessed as Mesopotamia" to old iadios of a by-gone periocl , , ■md.our notions about t.lioni -may indeed bo ■v fixed idea, a very Pied Piper to tho cliildren'pf Rugby, bilt, after all, they are only nfttinns iTho ■ unsuspc*t«l- fact was. that 'tie j\>liiii g toii fetwarcU -wgre,txtuaod, \a Uio

hour, anJ were stiil full of rum""S' laraiiaki opened, the spell briskly with a tour-dc-force in Wellington territory. Stohr (now limping.) had a shot, and ono of Mynoll 8 long passes just fell a little , too short to bring out a scoro. Hut Wellington now had the v/ind, and Kvonson and others ■presently becan to giro Tarmiaki largo doses of tho long wiiiil-borne kick. Taranaki very evidently did not lileo theso • doses, but they stood up to the. situation timl f caught and returned very well. A sicady loss of Taranaki territory followed theso exchanges, however, and &onicwh('l'ft| Just outeitlo the twenty-livo line, a Tarauaki man.broke the off-side, rule, and wns cutiglit.' Whon tho ball was brought back for placing it meant a forty-yards' kick, but Gardiner has put over many, good goals this season, and, on this occasion bo .was not found wanting. Taranaki, 6 points; •Wellington, G points. Only ten minutes of tho spell had gono and, in-ftvo minutes' more, Wollington came again. Brucoomerced clear of tho ruck

with.the ball, at'his' toe, and, "Ranji" Wilson,. coming up fast from-.behind, fell on;.jt as it was carried over the .lino.-'- Wellington, 9 points; Taranaki, 6.points' /But. the.Blacks ■werq'iiot yet finished. At twenty lnniutes to time onel , 'Would havo .expected ' that, the .battling of the Wellington van Avquld have brought .about a reductio ad exhaustum, but there was no sign of it—no slackening inj.no speed, of those tireless, wonderful forwards: .From ■.': a line-out \Y alsh . ,got , the ball away to • Mitchinson >■ and -M. Kensio (who 'had fully justified his selection) threated ' l.is , way > swiftly through the, fa"-«nd of the defence and scored . - n ellington, 12 points; -Taranaki,■ 6 points, K Ryan next "shot out .with the ball.- and, afterVetting- :throufrh his: field; did"tho weakest thing which he had:done<all day—attempted to pass the last man by side-stepping him. It was a ■■■• well-enough conceive*manoeuvre, but the tfoncko man's.^execution..was not so good.'as liis-mtentions,;>nd ho:madp-a rather tamcending to a rather fine run. However, not much was lost; by this, as/m ithe closing minutes, Gardiner effected a smart,, peculiar-, ■looking mark riot,far ■ from, .the posts, .aim/i Mitchinson • had 'no - trouble with the kick. The game thus ended in favour of. Wellington ■ by 15 points to- G.\ -One of, the'features, of. the match was the cerieral alertness and.reliability of tho home team's backs, and it is onlv right to mention that, in the trying first spell, they were, extensively assisted by bardiner, ' who seems to catch and kick as well. aVauyono. But, as has.been indicated, the greatest feature was the legs of, the forwards. Their 'open play,.;-when against the wim, 'may.have been a sort of. ■ Rugby .dementia, but if they continuo to show \it' in, other matches, .they .are going toibe very hard team' to btiatr ' Some kinds o^ seem to bear a suspicious resemblance to genius. .; ' ■ ':' .... ' ,-. ■'■ . :■'■■■■, ' \ RESUi-TS OF PREVIQUS MATCHES. seventeen - matches have-been played between teams'representative fit. the two provinces. Of these Taranaki, has, won eight, whilst Wellington has w.ou seven, and

two have-been drawn: Followingis a list of the results:— ■ \ , ' ■.. ;'. ■ . Year.-'.Place. : ."■ .'V Eesiilt. ; , ; 189i'"Hawera'" \- Ta'ranaki .won, 6 to nil. ; 1895 Wellington' Draw,'no score. -. ■■ . : 1896 New Plymouth Tarahaki won, 6 to nil. 1897 Wellington Wellington won, 3to ml. . 1898-Hawera , .Taranaki won,,6'to nil; 1899 Wellington '. Wellington won, 9to 5. : 1900 .' Hawera \ '-. Wellington won, , Bto 6. • 1901 Wellington - Wellington won, 20 to 3. . 1902'Taranaki, ■ ■'. .Taranaki won; 6 to-3. • ■'. 1903 Wellington- Taranaki won, 5 t0,3: 1901 ■ New Plymouth Taranaki won, 11 to 3. 1905; Wellington Wellington won, 6to nil. 1906 New -Plymouth* Taranaki:won, 11-to 3. 1907 Wellington Abandoned.at half-time. 1908 New Plymonth Taranaki won, 13 to ml. 190S Wellington Wellington won, 13 to 8. 1909- Wellington . Wellington won, 35 to 6.

NOTES'AND COMMENTS. What was especially pleasing about the Taranaki-WelliJigtoii .contest was the almost entire absence, of unbecoming pla>;—at least itv all respects' except the one indicated. It was » lutti stouealoj teo 4 bui Bot.aeMly. so

utromioua as sonio of tho historic battles liotwoon tlio two provinces. Of courso, tho mud- iiiul■ Uio wind interfered considerably with play, but, on tlio whole, tlio gamo was iiitorasUiif!. No ono 'could faii to obm.tvo that the numerous onlookers were quite impartial. That tlio.! buttei , ytojitn won was generally admitted. , ' ■ . .In the first spell/when they had tlio wind in 'their favour, tlio visitors should havo inado nioro of their opportunities. Timo and again fast following up proved futile, owing to the ball being far down.the field. But tlio most glaring defect was. in connection with , the passing rushes. Adopting the short pass, the bucks, as a rule, rioglected that prc-rsscntinl to a successful''issue—■ "beating the man." It seemed as if tlio chief 'aim of the rushes was to get tho ball out to Cameron.- . . . •:

Tho visiting forwards- sot.out! at a merry paco, but whon they had to play with tho wind against them they slackened off appreciably, and tlic home vanguard got them

well:in.hand. The local'fonyards; held .their j own in the,scrums, 'and -got a- fair.shar'ei of tho ball. On • the line-outs ■ they' always had the best:of matters. ;•;,.,;': : ■<„ ■ .■ 'Without a doubt; the.'most bnl|iant back on the ground was'Caniecon,'who played on' the left wing for ,the':visitors;,Tairly .weir fed with passes in tbet first .hajf, he .made several capital- runs; : Not he .fast, but ho' has the knack of; getting, up speed quickly, and also of'stopping'instantly, , : One of his weak points is- "dancing" in front of his opponent.' He should try and, learn the step which Mitchinson-showed him. • Only a champion could , have gained, thctryi-which Cameron scored/ His-pettiest, effort .was,; 'however, when ho bontthreo oppnents'in'a .buiich.and.tlien ! -neavly.!gqt.thrQugh.-....0n tho defence, he' was hardly so : useiuh ■'- ■■■-;■_■ : Ryan's tackling and- .■neldini;' were' not up to that shov.-ji bv. the , other Wellington.backs. But to ■ discuss .that would ■ be, profitless, for | an ounce of. attack is worth- a, ton-, of : fenco, and Ryan, is.- in' the- team.fl.hiefty ,-for,. his attack.. That : his attack did; not como.off. .nay have beeiv due ."to .circumstances, })o-yoiul-his. control.-;;lt,wiis not much; ofa day. for backs in any case. Z^ , ;>:„,' ■'~,, ■'! -pi ■ , : ■ Current :umour is to the• effect that lieu Roberts is'not. anxious to play'againjn close proximity to, the.scrum;... - ~.-■■ .■■.:'•■:. Apart from Cameron, the most-conspicuons back'on the visitors'- sitlo.was-Myiwtt; who, was good both qri .attack and defence. •Itwas 'a treat to see him (jetting "his compaii-: j.'ions into'line. His passing.was:-slightly below his. 1 usual standard. After him .came U Sheehan-and Boamish; ! Of the forwards,-. Smith and O'SuUivan were. the ,nick. Tamil' followed up well at times, .but ho.gotjcr}' tired towards.'the close;of the game. _.'v-:.;;' ■Of the home backs, Mitehinson ai\d Green .were easily the pick, whilst Eyenson ,did what came his way well, and J. Ryan, was fairly successful. It. was; not hard: to •selecttho''most nrominont forwards,._ who_ were Bruce, "Ranji" Wilson.v. and M'Kollar:;, Tannahill did.-poorly - .-vir.thG first, half,., but struggled hard-to regain, his•• reputation towards the end.; ;/., .'.-:); . .-r.) - ! ; -;;.,■•'

Tho WellhiTton players-wqre a'white.band on one arm of jer«ys as. a mark of; respect to the' memory: of-, the. late. JUv>" Brown, father of. Mr. Si, 5,,.8r0wn,., chairman of the Management Committee of the local union. The flag of Athletic Park, ; was also flown at half-mast.., . : ■'.'. ~..-■ '.■■ '•, .

THE .CURTAIN-RAISERS ' "Elay up,- play, upr-and play; the' gainol" the text of-Henry:Newbbld's.'popm,V.may'-iiot have been, in 'the mind of,a • single .player when the represen'tatives'of'Wellington and ■St. colleges met at "tho'Athletic •Park'.'on Saturday:- but;. th'e '.,spirit 1 .of.. the line—the. spirit of all -true* .'Sport—certainly, 'animated, everyone. .Eaoh: fifteen. ,wasV there to win if possible,; but. if ..it could ncjf'.win—. well, it would be" a generous: loser,.; and-'freely congratulate' l tho victor.; ■ There certainly .was I: something attractive /about. the •' whiob the game w;as'played, thirty boys, .untouched as , yet by poisonous gasconade, all .trained well, and playing , hard. .The spirit'of'the game douM not have'been,-improved onj.but the method couldv With the.wind, a..great' aid in.the first spell* Wellington College.did not mako■'; the most.vof, their ■ jOppbrtunities, they allowed their opponents to ; roserve '■: a- : : tie too' much , energy, but 1 they achieved:, much by-putting on 19 points, and: scoring, rightly Von. from the backs. V The first try .was. to the credit of Ramsden, five-eighths, : who 'scored neatly near:the : posts, and',.,to borrow a cricketing term, off-liis 'own bat After that the forwards, pressed, arid,, waiting an opportunity to heel the ball oiit.to the backs, saw and seized a chance; to'get over, .themselves, Martin touching down. Next, a series of well-timed and accurate, passes saw-.the progression—Childs—Ramsdeh — Stainton —. Natusch, try. From this- try, Ramsden placed 'a'.veil-judged- goal. So, far,, tholpositive work of ■ attack had been all with .Wellington College, and St. -Patrick's had 1 monopolised the.negative of defence, but a clover mark by Mahoney gave token of other possibilities, and, acting on the impulse, -, the Blues rushed play to tbo enemy's territory. But'not to keep it there. The reaction followed, and Stewart secured Wellington's fourth try. A dodgy run by Natusch,. and a goal by Childs' from the/consequent try ended the first spell.. In the second, spalll tho ■Ulacks had to battle against tho. wind,- and battle hard, for St. Patrick's let no , ill-wind blow for them. Twice the ball, impelled by the foot of a bluo-clad player, crossed goal-line, but twice thorowas no boyin blue' handy to touch. Then, from α-mdeo of pushing, struggling, blue and- black, emerged a quickly-darting streak .of ; blue It was the half, Dohorty, making for .a'nj opening, \ Ho was grassed, but not before he had.'transferred his chargo. The'passing .rush', was a tiiio.onc, but it ended at tho wing, without a score. From, that time on ."there wore no dangerous moments' for -Wellington. . Tho .Blacks scored once more, by Stewart's agency, making the final result: Wellington College ..'.'"■...''-22.'"■■'.' ' St. Patrick's College' ...:.:.'..:.'• 0,-. Miy Ai-J'' ln . | ~ ■! .